Love, Light, Lust and Life
by Silver Sailor Ganymede
Summary: Minako and Rei discuss the nature of their lavish prison, the Moon's Silver Millennium. Slight MinakoRei.


Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

Love, Light, Lust and Life  
By Silver Sailor Ganymede

The young princess of Mars sat in the gardens of the Moon's grandest palace, twirling a single red rose in her hand. She kept her dark violet eyes fixed on the ground, her piercing gaze filled with enough hatred that it may have withered the flowers in front of her if she had stared for long enough.

She looked terribly out of place in her battered, bloodstained armour and loosely tied back raven-black hair while all other ladies in the court went round in flowing, impractical dresses and impossibly high heels, their hair immaculate and the makeup flawless. The Martian princess scoffed at such things; what was the need for such 'beauty' when the only true beauty lay so far hidden that it could never be seen.

She heard footsteps come towards her and looked up to see the princess of Venus standing before her, a smile on her powdered face. She flashed a smile at the Martian before taking a seat next to her. The Martian had always found the Venusian unnerving, perhaps more than the others found her.

"Rei," the Venusian spoke, using the first name as was custom on her planet. "How are you? You seem depressed."

"Minako," Rei replied, saying the Venusian's name with a slight sneer in her voice: if she was so informal, why could she not be informal back. "I am not depressed. I am simply beyond irritated at being held captive in this lavish prison."

"A lavish prison," Minako replied. "You know, that has to be the truest word said about this place."

Rei looked over at the Venusian, who sighed and continued to speak.

"A lavish prison, an illusion. There is no true peace; everyone is oppressed, no one is allowed to speak the truth. There is only peace because none dare to rise up against the queen on fear of death. I've been listening to the servant's since I got her, this place is nothing like it seems.

Rei was by not means surprised.

"Why don't we just break away from the Moon's rule," she spat.

"We have to; it's all to do with a treaty signed about five hundred years ago, when this queen, Serenity I, first became ruler."

"Whoever signed that were fools."

"Those who didn't were slaughtered like sacrificial lambs," Minako replied. "I never paid attention to history or politics, but I remember that much.

"Love, light, lust and life, all those things are natural to mortals, even to Lunarians to some extent, but they're so opressed here that it terrifies me…" tears came into her cobalt eyes. "Why do we have to become mindless servents to the heir of a mindless, emotionless race?"

"I would rather the battlefiled to this," Rei hissed. "Even the horrors there are better than this: the death around you reminds you of what it truly means to be alive. They are not alive here; they live for millennia on end because of the crystal, they do not know life's true meaning."

"Nor love's," Minako replied as the tears fell down her face, wearing away the makeup she had covered herself with to reveal a more beautiful inner face. "They may see themselves as perfection, but that is only a mask. Nothing more than a mask."

The Venusian leaned against the Martian's shoulder, still sobbing quietly. Rei didn't know what to do; she was not used to sadness, only happiness, rage, life and death… not sadness, there was no such thing on Mars, nor Venus… sadness only dwelled on the Moon, the home of illusions.

Minako sat up again and wiped the tears from her face. She then turned to Rei and spoke.

"I have something to tell you, Rei, before its too late." She leaned closer to the Martian and whispered in her ear. "I love you."

Rei was startled, and she was even more startled when the Venusian planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"I love you, Rei, I just had to tell you before our emotions leave us forever."

With that Minako left Rei stunned, lamenting on the corrupt apathy of the Moon kingdom, their twisted, lavish prison.


End file.
